By Desmond Ejibas
Milan – Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) has urged global co-operation to tackle methane emissions and accelerate climate action.
Dr Philip Mshelbila, Managing Director of NLNG, made the call during a panel session at the Gastech Exhibition and Conference in Milan, Italy.
The session was themed, “Advancing Progress on Methane Abatement Through Strategic Cooperation and the Mobilisation of Finance and Technologies.”
Mshelbila stressed that methane reduction must be prioritised due to its high climate potency and short atmospheric lifespan compared to carbon dioxide (CO₂).
He explained that about 40 per cent of methane emissions were natural, while 60 per cent resulted from human activities.
“Of this 60 per cent, agriculture contributes 40 per cent, and waste, 20 per cent.
“Globally, oil and gas account for 21 per cent of total methane emissions from fossil fuels, making the sector a critical focus for intervention,” he said.
He explained that fossil fuel-related emissions arose from coal mining, flaring, venting, fugitive releases, and incomplete combustion — all requiring targeted mitigation strategies.
Mshelbila identified three key pillars for addressing the challenge which included prevention, detection and measurement, and intervention.
He said that prevention involved designing new facilities to minimise leaks and upgrading existing infrastructure, while detection and measurement relied on advanced technologies to track performance.
“If you cannot measure it, you cannot know how well you are performing,” he stated.
Mshelbila noted that methane lingered in the atmosphere for about 12 years, compared to hundreds or thousands for CO₂, yet it was over 80 times more potent, making its reduction a ‘fast-track’ climate solution.
According to him, we need to focus attention on methane mitigation technologies and support small-scale producers and transporters who often lack the capital to invest in advanced systems.
While CO₂ regulations are relatively mature, Mshelbila observed that methane policies remained underdeveloped, particularly in developing nations.
He called for industry-wide collaboration and inclusive frameworks to close this gap.
Highlighting NLNG’s contributions, the NLNG managing director said the company had reduced Nigeria’s gas flaring by more than 40 per cent since its inception 26 years ago.
“Methane is energy. It is good as long as you keep it in-pipe. NLNG was created to monetise associated gas that was previously flared during oil production.
“We have invested in detection, measurement, monitoring, and reporting systems to manage methane emissions,” he said.
Mshelbila further said that the company had joined the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) and was working towards achieving Gold Standard certification.
He announced that the company would soon inaugurate a boil-off gas compressor to reintegrate methane that would otherwise be flared.
Mshelbila emphasised the importance of partnerships, funding access, knowledge-sharing to help smaller operators adopt advanced technologies, citing satellite-based detection as an innovation that could deliver industry-wide benefits.
He added that access to finance and scalable solutions was crucial for independent players to reduce flaring and emissions.
According to him, we need global stakeholders to support methane mitigation through technology, funding, and inclusive policy frameworks,” he said. (NAN)
